My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Santa’s gift bag wreath

...ok not really that fancy- it’s made from paper pulp. A cardboard box gift bag wreath… really. In the spirit of 2020- I am inspired by the endless stream of cardboard boxes being delivered. Probably the one thing we all have in abundance right now!

Me, addressing my 2020 Christmas cards (all inspired by the lyrics of I’ll be home for Christmas … )

Santa's gift bag wreath design by Christne de Beer

I'll be home for Christmas

Easy wreath to make with a pouch for small gifts

We’ll be home for Christmas

Diy gift Christmas wreath to make yourself

He and she’ll be home for Christmas

Half and half Christmas wreath Tutorial

Them? Them’ll be home for Christmas

Contactless gift delivery wreath for your front door

And they? Uh huh… they’ll be home for Christmas

Add a gift bag to a wreath for gift delivery

… us’ll? Christmas eve will find us’ll home for Christmas…

Handmade Christmas decorations for floral designers

oooh a card for you... You’ll be home for Christmas!

How to make an easy and sustainable Christmas wreath

which reminds me…

Craft a wreath with a special place to put small gifts for contact free gift pick up or delivery

... would you like to find a Christmas card from me in your Santa’s gift bag?

I get to make and send you a Christmas card this year and we help out a few bookshops in the process!
Here’s the deal:

Signing for bookstores

Bookshops will be having a tough time in the coming lockdown and I am so excited to be participating in #SigningforBookstores by sending out signed cards to anyone who buys (online orders count!) my book from a real-life shop.
Starting today, until Christmas day, if you buy a copy of THE EFFORTLESS FLORAL CRAFTSMAN from a local or indie bookstore and send me a really creative Selfie or Shelfie (featuring my book) that shows me a little something of your own Effortless Style I'll send you a handmade and signed Christmas card that you can use as a bookplate or bookmark.
Remember to include your mailing address and the name you want me to dedicate the card to.
You can make use of @bookshop_Org or @indiebound to find your local bookstore.

Every good Christmas wish!

Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.

Tutorials

25 November 2020 Contactless gift exchange wreath perfect to double as Santa’s Gift Bag for your front door

Craft a small pouch into a half-and-half wreath so that you can leave... and receive tiny gifts and cards in true Christmas 2020 style .

25 November 2020 Wire Stars

Wrap wire around a cardboard star for a quick three dimensional decoration.

24 July 2012 Blow away hot glue strands

When you glue a structure with hot glue there are always a few stray strands of glue stuck all over the design. Blow it away with a hairdryer.

5 May 2011 Wire curls

curl wire to add to designs

4 January 2011 Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.

28 December 2016 Adding snow to twigs

Glue artificial snow to twigs

8 June 2016 Stripping bark from willow sticks

Strip the green bark from the stems to expose the smooth wood

22 January 2013 Bark Veneer Cardboard Cake stands

A quick and easy way to make a cardboard cake stand

22 January 2013 Bark Veneer Cardboard Floral Cake

Glue a stack of cardboard circles to create a log-like floral cake

10 March 2012 Kyogi paper wood veneer

I wanted to create extremely light weight wooden blocks for my design. The easiest way is to cover Styrofoam with a Kyogi paper veneer.

4 September 2013 Weave a heart shaped basket

An easy to assemble open weave basket

1 November 2011 Weaving a twig wreath

For my design I wanted the wreath to look wind blown so I added a few loosely woven twigs into the weave. I also wanted to emphasize the autumn colours so I added a twirling...

28 December 2016 A bark strip and fluffed cotton disk wreath

Cover a wreath frame with bark strips and fluffed out cotton

7 December 2011 Hang a wreath on a door without knocking nails into the door face

I use two methods (or a combination of both) to attach a wreath to a door.

18 December 2019 Here it is: the quickest, easiest Christmas wreath… ever!

My work is usually so labour intensive... this one came as a wonderful surprise... it really is both quick and easy to craft this wreath!

3 January 2011 Syringe with tube

Easy way to fill test tubes and easiest way to remove water from a vase

12 August 2012 Twist your own Wire Wreath frame

Make a wire wreath frame with wire and cover it with growth mesium or moss to design on

Favourite Flowers

Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis, Moth orchid

Related Designs

2 December 2020 Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Lost and Found Snow Mittens

...ok not really that fancy- it’s made from paper pulp. A cardboard box snow mittens… really. In the spirit of 2020- I am inspired by the endless stream of cardboard boxes being...

6 October 2021 A good measure of Autumn

A wire and twig permanent display basket with tiny water sources for a few fresh flowers that can be replaced as needed.

1 December 2021 It’s the most… it’s the most... Hap-Hapiest Patina Christmas of all!

This is the second of my Christmas 2021 series of designs. This year in the form of a mini workshop… my Christmas present to you. Craft a three twig sphere snow man to proudly...

8 December 2021 It’s the most… it’s the most... Jingle Patina Christmas of all!

This is the third of my Christmas 2021 series of designs. This year in the form of a mini workshop… my Christmas present to you. Craft the easiest copper bells to hang in a...

17 January 2024 Wave Wrap

Roll birch bark into a double spiral to cradle some perfect flowers to admire all winter.

13 March 2024 In All Ways

A birch bark basket... perfect for some new Spring floral details.

4 December 2024 A Very Merry… all elf pass into Santa’s workshop, department for checking it twice

A frozen in a moment bark scroll with silver leaf letters that was about to reveal Santa's Nice list!

22 January 2013 It's High Time for Tea: from craft to art, taking a delicious floral journey with veneer techniques

This was my second two designs for my It's High Time for Tea Floral Craft and Art Demonstration at The Capilano Flower Arranging Club meeting.

18 November 2020 Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Yule log

...ok not really that fancy- it’s made from paper pulp. A cardboard box Yule log… really. In the spirit of 2020- I am inspired by the endless stream of cardboard boxes being...

8 April 2011 Large Open Weave Twig Basket

Easter Basket used in the Durbanville Flower Club Easter Parade Demonstration

28 December 2016 A Jingle Cotton Christmas

Cover a wreath frame with bark and cotton for a textured Christmas wreath design

18 December 2019 A Happy, Merry, Jolly (easy as that!) Eucalyptus Christmas wreath

Now this is quite a discovery! And it honestly is the easiest and quickest way to go from "I still want to decorate for Christmas" to "... aaand I am done, I made our wreath"

25 November 2015 So white

A dried Baby's breath and fresh orchid wreath

14 December 2016 A Candy(cane) Cotton Christmas

A floral cotton candy cane

12 December 2012 It's a swell time…

An exceptional moment frozen in time… 12:12:12 12/12/12